


rest

by imposterhuman



Series: angsty post-endgame drabbles [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canonical Character Death, Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Natasha Feels, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Sort Of, Tony Feels, Tony has a heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-23 20:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18709666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: Tony and Natasha, after.





	rest

**Author's Note:**

> ENDGAME SPOILERS ENDGAME SPOILERS ENDGAME SPOILERS
> 
>  
> 
> ok enjoy!

Natasha didn’t know how long she had been sitting alone when she heard footsteps behind her.

 

Death was quiet, serene. There were no enemies, no battles, no blood and tears. Her fear, something that had dogged her steps her whole life, seemed irrational on the soft sand of the beach she found herself on. It was peace that Natasha had found after sacrificing herself, peace she had never thought she would deserve with all the red in her ledger. There was no room for peace in the Red Room, after all (and some days, she was pretty sure she never left).

 

But death was lonely, too. There was no one and nothing in her after. She wasn't sure if she was in heaven or hell or somewhere in between, all by her lonesome. She did know, though, that no one was walking around but her, when she changed her perch to follow the sun as it painted colors across the sky. She whirled around, Black Widow coming to the forefront and shoving the broken pieces of Natalia that had shaken free aside.

 

“Agent Romanov,” a familiar voice greeted, sending her to her knees as she looked upon the face of a friend. “Did you miss me?”

 

“Tony?” she whispered, disbelieving. He wasn’t supposed to be there; he was supposed to be safe with everyone else that she died for. He was supposed to be with his daughter, with his wife, home and happy and  _ alive _ . He was never supposed to have followed her.

 

Tony wasn’t supposed to be dead.

 

“In the flesh,” he said, a sad little smile playing on his lips. “Or, whatever we’re made of here.”

 

“You shouldn’t be here,” said Natasha, shaking her head. Tony was the heart of the Avengers, even after everything. He was Earth’s best defender; he couldn’t be gone. “No. You can’t be dead.”

 

“As it turns out, squishy human bodies aren’t meant to handle the full power of six Infinity Stones,” Tony said, wincing almost imperceptibly. He rubbed his right hand. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

 

“You idiot,” she hissed, grabbing him in a tight hug. Her fingers were claws, digging into his shoulders. He held her back with infinite tenderness. He always had, even when he was meeting her barb for barb, he never cut as deep as she knew he could. “You absolute moron, _what did you do_?”

 

“What I had to,” he murmured in her ear, sounding old and tired and infinitely sad. “I chose it- just like you did. It’s okay, Nat. I knew what would happen. I chose this.”

 

“I’m so mad at you,” she said, pulling away. But she flashed him one of her real smiles anyway. He was one of the few to ever receive them; they both knew it. He was one of her soft spots, one of the only people she had ever let into what remained of her heart. 

 

“And we’ll have all the time in the world to hash it out,” he said, eyes distant, staring at the horizon where the sun was setting. He looked exhausted, but it was almost lighter than before, like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders. It was a weight, she knew, that he had been carrying for 11 years by himself. She couldn’t fault him for being tired.

 

“For now, though, let’s just sit here,” she decided, tugging him down to the soft sand. “We deserve some time to relax. I can yell at you later.”

 

Tony chuckled fondly. “I can’t wait.”

 

They sat in silence, watching the waves for a while. The sun had gone down and the stars were out, casting a silver-white glow on the both of them. She rested on his shoulder in the way they used to curl up in the Tower, years and years ago. Despite everything they had been through since then, every betrayal and every fight and every regret, Tony’s shoulder still felt the same. Still felt comforting, still felt like home.

 

“Did we win?” Natasha asked finally, the question that had been nagging at her fragile peace since Tony’s arrival. He had to say yes; she didn’t know what she would do if he said no.

 

Her friend looked up at the stars, the universe reflected in his eyes. He smiled, something unburdened and free. “Yeah, Itsy Bitsy,” he said, holding her closer.  She clung to him in a way she had never let herself in life. “We won. We can rest now.”

 

Natasha smiled to herself and let her eyes fall closed. He was right; they could rest.

**Author's Note:**

> god im still so upset about this movie
> 
> leave me a comment!


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